New U.S. Strategy for meeting the MDGs

Publish What You Fund welcomes the new US strategy for meeting the Millennium Development Goals unveiled on Friday July 30 by Administrator Shah. We strongly commend Dr. Shah on his continued commitment to aid transparency and applaud his continued efforts in “preserving and accelerating the momentum toward the MDGs”.

The strategy specifically addresses aid transparency at the donor level by calling donors, including the US, to “deliver on our development assistance commitments and improving the transparency of aid flows.” Transparency is described as a “powerful instrument to foster good governance.” The new strategy rightly asserts that “data shortages, comparability problems, and large lag times weaken our ability to measure progress toward the Goals.”

The document lays out a new framework on aid effectiveness, which includes the launch of an aid transparency initiative. “In collaboration with U.S. agencies, other donors, and partner governments, we will identify the most appropriate timelines and channels to disseminate country